


That time at Bamboozle

by Krash39



Category: All Time Low (Band)
Genre: Cheating, Friendship, Gen, Jack gives good advice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-06
Updated: 2019-05-06
Packaged: 2020-02-27 00:40:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18728164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Krash39/pseuds/Krash39
Summary: "Wasn't this the year Alex's girlfriend cheated on him?""Yea and he cheated on her? Though it was never confirmed??"- Youtube comments





	That time at Bamboozle

Alex burned.  
His throat burned with bile, not quite ready to vomit. His eyes burned squeezing back hot tears he wasn't ready to let go of. He breathed fired taking another pull from the whiskey bottle, sitting slumped into the couch of the back lounge, his knee bouncing uncontrollably. 

 **He'd cheated.**  
  
The thought echoed through his head, prompting him to bring his fists up to his eyes, letting out a heaving breath. It'd seemed like the thing to do - she'd cheated **FIRST** \- he screamed internally. The only logical retaliation after she'd tearfully confessed seemed like mute resignation, followed by cut communication and 'revenge' cheating.  
  
Alex strangled an angry groan. He could blame the hurt, the alcohol, his impetuous nature fueled by the passion between himself and, what he'd thought, had been the love of his life. But deep down he wanted nothing more than to curl up, hold her and sob at the deep betrayal they'd both committed.  
Instead he tipped the bottle back again, and turned his headphones up louder.  
He didn't notice the knock on the door, and kept his gaze deliberately on the floor avoiding Jack standing in front of him.  
  
"Alex" he finally acknowledged as Jack hit the space bar on his laptop pausing the music.  
"What." He was surprised at how rough and flat his voice sounded in his own ears.  
"You don't normally do solo benders. So I'm asking. What's up?" Jack sat without waiting for an invitation.  
Alex swallowed hard. "Nothing." He went to drink again and found his friend's hand holding the bottle down. "Dude." Jack said simply making direct eye contact.  
Alex swore and looked away. He didn't want to say it out loud.  
"Ok." Jack acquiesced. "But chill before you kill yourself. And if you, ya know." he shrugged trailing off. Alex nodded and Jack stood to leave.

  
"I slept with someone." Alex spat as Jack reached for the door. The words dissipated in the air more quickly than Alex had expected them to. He'd imagined hearing them out loud would be more like a tidal wave, leveling everything in it's path. Instead they barely left a trace . He saw his friend's shoulders slump before he turned, but instead of shock all Alex could read in his face was sadness.  
"Kind of thought something might have happened after the show last night. Was it on accident?"  
Alex considered the question a moment. "No. We uh, talked before the show. And she told me she'd been, I dunno seeing someone. She hooked up with some fucking dude behind my back." Despite his best efforts he couldn't hold back the tears anymore as he drew his knees up to the edge of the couch and let his head drop. "I'm sorry." Jack sat back down and put his arm behind Alex's back, squeezing his shoulder.  
  
With one final grimace, Alex let the damn burst. He felt almost detached as he listened to the broken, piteous sobbing that came from his heart and guts. He began to cave in on himself, wanting to shrink and wrap himself in his own arms so tightly he would sink through the couch and into the deep black pit of his own sadness. He felt another arm wrap around him, and pull him in, so his head leaned into Jack's shoulder.  
"I didn't-she" Alex tried but couldn't bring himself to string the words together.  
Jack nodded in reply, letting his friend have his moment as "semi-privately" as possible.  
  
After another minute Alex began to breathe more evenly, sniffing deeply and drying his eyes.  
"That's fucking embarrassing." He rubbed at his eyes, both cheeks turning red and splotchy. "Whatever, it happens." Jack tried to shrug it off nonchalantly.  
"Does she know?" he asked tentatively. Alex shook his head. "No. She's called twice but, I can't talk to her. Not after this."  
"I guess, the real question is, do you want to fix it?" Jack posited looking to the edge of the opposite side of the room.  
"I don't think this gets fixed. That's it. We're done." Alex took another swig before Jack could stop him. "Why does it have to be?" Jack asked simply. Alex turned to him, disbelief etched into his face, as if the answer were obvious. Jack shrugged. "All I'm saying is, both of you fucked up. Which hi - we're on tour 10 months out of the year and you're both fucking humans who, believe it or not fuck up. It's only done if you give up." Alex blinked letting the words sink in. They felt obvious and ridiculous, but at the same time, a tiny part of him sprang to life at the small hope.  
"Thanks." Alex sat up a little straighter and began fishing his phone out of his pocket. "Here." Jack said offering a small paper plate with a sandwich on it and a bottle of water that Alex hadn't noticed earlier. "Maybe get these down before any other human contact." In exchange Jack took the whiskey bottle and replaced the cap. "Peanut butter?" Alex asked raising an eyebrow. "Of course, you don't eat adult foods, and we're out of Ramen noodles so that was the only other thing I could make." He headed towards the door.  
"Thanks. For real, man."  
"Any time." Jack crossed the threshold and began heading down the corridor.  
Alex took a bite of the sandwich and then opened his phone, holding the speed dial for his, girlfriend? Ex-girlfriend?  
She answered on the first ring. Her clear light voice making his heart ache with love and home sickness.  
"Hey. So. We need to talk."


End file.
